Passengers evacuated from disabled PATCO train
About 250 passengers were evacuated from a Philadelphia-bound PATCO train yesterday after it became disabled on the Benjamin Franklin Bridge.
About 250 passengers were evacuated from a Philadelphia-bound PATCO train yesterday after it became disabled on the Benjamin Franklin Bridge.
A blown motor caused the train to stall about 6:30 a.m. on the north side of the bridge, according to Ed Kasuba, spokesman for the Delaware River Port Authority, which operates the PATCO High-Speed Line between South Jersey and Center City.
PATCO riders experienced major delays for much of the morning rush hour as eastbound and westbound trains alternated using the single track on the bridge's south side.
Westbound motorists also suffered delays as a lane on the bridge was taken out of service to allow emergency personnel access to the train.
"Service was back to normal at 8:14," Kasuba said.
The stranded passengers were transferred to a rescue train about 7:15 a.m., Kasuba said.
Sue Smith, a legal assistant from Mantua Township, was one of the riders stuck on the train. She said the same thing happened to her in December, when an electrical fire stranded a train on the bridge.
"It was a little adventure. But nothing compared to last time," Smith said.
After catching the train shortly after 6 a.m. at Camden's Ferry Avenue station, everything "was going great until we got on the bridge. All of a sudden the train stopped, and the lights went out."
Passengers waited patiently as the train operator searched for the source of the problem and police arrived, Smith said in an e-mail.
"Mostly everyone on the train was very calm; there was one guy who complained the whole time though. [There's always one.] Once the rescue train arrived, we all had to exit the broken train, and walk through to the new train. . . .
"We went back to Camden, and then the train switched tracks, and we headed back over the bridge into Philadelphia.
"Everything was run very orderly and the crew and police were very pleasant and understanding," Smith wrote.
"Now if I can just get my employer to give me administrative leave for the 71 minutes I was late, I would be happy!"
After the passengers exited, a four-car train from New Jersey pulled the disabled train back to Camden.
